Contact mechanism for electric alarm systems.



J. P. WILLIAMS.

CONTACT MECHANISM FOR ELECTRIC ALARM SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION men ocr. 18. my

1,146,29. Patented July 12 1915.

JOHN PRITCHARD WILLIAMS, OF NEW YORK, It. Y., ASSIGNOR TO DUPLEX ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

CONTACT MECHANISM FOR ELECTRIC ALARM SYSTEMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1915.

Application filed October 18, 1913. Serial No. 795,832.

To all wh m it may concern:

' Be it known that I, JOHN P. WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Contact Mechanisms for Electric AlarmSystems, of which the following is a specification.

effective and positive in operation, which can be operated with greater certainty and convenience, and which will possess advantages in point of simplicity, effectiveness, and general efiiciency.

The improved contact mechanism comprising myv present invention is designed to be used in connection with the alarm circuit of .any general type of burglar-alarm systerns such as are now employed, especially in connection with daylight holdup systems which are employed for the protection of banks or apartments for the storage of valuables, the contact mechanism being conveniently arranged with relation to'the desk or location of a cashier or teller or other operative and being adapted to be instantly and eifectively operated with certain action. The improved contact mechanism is ad'apted for operation with relation to either an open or a closed circuit, its structural relation and connection with a normally-open circuit being herein shown, and it may be placed onthe floor under the desk of a cashier or teller or other operative, or in a suitable location upon the wall,

or in any other desirable or adapted position. [For instance, the mechanism may be arranged directly on the desk, and concealed from view, or in a grillc-worksuch as is en'1 ployed to surround desks or compartments lIl banking rooms, in which latter instance the'operating bar of the contact mechanism could be. arranged to constitute a part of the grille-work. The operating bar, as comprised in the improved mechanism, can be adapted to be conveniently operated by the foot or hand, according to the location and conditions under which the mechanism is employed.

Heretoforc, in contact mechanisms of this class, a single contact push button has been usually employed, for instance, at a point on the floor and adapted to be operated by foot pressure, but these conditions render it difficult for the operator to locate the small area of a single push button and the necessary quick action in causing the alarm is not insured.

My improvements are designed to overcome all the disadvantages and conditions as thus heretofore encountered in the push button arrangements of alarm systems of the class to which my invention relates, and toefl'ectively avoid any delay in the operative action to cause the alarm, the imroved mechanism enabling the operator to instantly locate and operate the contacts by means of the operating bar which, in the form and construction of my invention as herein illustrated, is common to a plurality of contacts or push buttons and may extend the full length of a desk or other position in which it is located, substantially as hereinafter described.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a top or plan view of the improved contact mechanism, as installed upon the floor, the operating bar'being in normal position. Fig. 2

is a view correspondin to Fig. 1, showing the operating bar in raised position and out of operative relation to the contacts. Fig. 3 is an end view of the mechanism as shown in Fig. 1, the position as shown in Fig. 2 being illustrated in dotted lines. Fig. 4 is a detail cross-section on the line waa Fig. 1, illustrating one type of contact or push'button as employed in the mechanism, and the connection thereof with an alarm circuit. F1g.- 5 1s a sectional vlew corresponding to F 1g. 4 and illustrating a modified con- 'struction in which the contact is directly carried by the operating bar.

Corresponding parts in all the'figures are denoted by the same .reference characters.

- Referring to the drawings, 1 designates one of the plurality of contacts or push buttons as employed in my invention, which may be of any suitable or adapted construction and is carried by a suitable boxing or housing, 2, which is secured to the floor or at any other desired point of location. In the preferred construction, as herein illustrated, the body of the housing 2, has an inclined top surface, as at 3, to more effectively meet the angle of pressure when the mechanism is operated by the foot, and it is provided with lateral base flanges, as 354:, through which pass securing screws, 5. The preferred construction of contact or push button, as illustrated in Fig. 4, comprises a slidable stem, 6, projecting through an opening, 7, in thetop of the housing 2, and through an opening, 8, in the bottom of a tubular member, 9, interiorlycarried by said housing. The projecting top end of said stem 6 carries a head, 10, to provide an enlarged area for operative contact with the operating bar, and its bottom projecting end is adapted to enter between two spring plates, 1111, secured to and projecting downwardly from opposite sides of said tubular member 9. The contact or push button 1 is spring-controlled by means of a coiled spring, 12, accommodated within the tubular member 9 and surrounding the stem 6 and arranged between the'bottom wall of said tubular. member an'da'lateral flange, 14, carried by the stem 6 within the internal chamber of the member 9, the chamber and said flange 14 being of greater diametrical area than the openings 7 and.'8. vThus,-when in normal position, the lower projecting end of the stem 6 is out of engagement with the spring plates 11, and-when the contact 1 is depressed said lower end will enter between said spring plates and thus close the alarm circuit, the contact being returned to normal position and the alarm circuit again opened by action of the controllin spring 12, when pressure is removed, it that normally the ends of the spring plates 11 are not in contact and that the circuit is open at thispoint.

I have herein illustrated one form ofalarm circuit of adaptable type, in connection with the contact mechanism, as follows: From connection with one of the plates 11 .a wire, 15, extends to one side of a battery,

cuit through the automatic drop is normally ei'ng understood open at said spring plates but is completed and closed when the stem 6 of the contact member or push button 1 enters between the lower ends of said plates. A branch alarm c rcuit is arranged in connection with the clrcuit just described and is constituted by a wire, 22, extending from the wire 15 to a bell or other signal device, as at 23, and a wire, 24, extending from said signal device to a contact, 25, adjacent said automatic drop. Thus, in operation, when the main circuit through the battery is closed, as above described, the automatic drop is energized and its contact arm is permitted to drop from the contact 19 to contact with the contact 25 of the branch alarm circuit, and the circuit is then completed through the nism may be suitably arranged as desired in concealed or inclosed position, as is usual in burglar-alarm systems of the class for which my present improvements are adapted.

It will be understood that'in the employment of a plurality of contacts arranged in parallel, as herein described, with relation to the depressible operating bar, each of said contact devices comprised in the set will be.

in the alarm circuit, by arrangement in parallel in the" CiI'Cl llli completed by the wires- 20 and 15, in the manner as illustrated in Figs. 4 and5 .in which one of said contact devices is illustrated in circuit upon said wires 20- and 15. i

In carrying out my invention, the contact or push button devices, as hereinbefore described, are preferably arranged in a plurality with relation'to the operating bar, so that the latter is in operation commonto such plurality of contacts.

It will be understood that-the employment of merely a single push button contact designed to be operated by means of direct foot or finger pressure upon the contact, as

in the usual alarm mechanism constructions, renders-it diflicult for'the operatorto locate the single push button under conditions of immediate emergency, and thisobjection is effectively overcome in my invention and improvements by providing the operating de pression bar having an, extent with relation to the contact alarm'mechanism which will enable the operation of the latter-by pressure uponthe bar at any point. This depression bar can thus be readily located andoperated' at any-point throughout its extended length,

and in relation to these conditions of'operaunder any exible action of the bar. Thus,

if the bar; is depressed at merelyone end, itwill be operative upon the contact or contacts located with relation to that end, even though it is not operative upon the contact or contacts located at the opposite end,-and

the same'ope'rative conditions will result for the effective operation of at least one of the plurality of contacts if the bar is operated at its central portion or at any other point of its longitudinal extent. By the employment of a plurality of contact devices arranged in parallel, advantages in point of effectiveness and certainty of operation-are secured, and this parallel electrical arrangement of contacts is especially desirable in view of the extended length of the operating bar in its action in common to the plurality of contacts, which length, .it will. be understood, is

considerably extended under some conditions of installation of the mechanism. Furthermore, the (plurality of contacts in relation to the exten ed operating bar has the additional advantage that if one or more of the contacts are for any reason inoperative, or the degree of pressure thereon 1s not sufficient to cause their operation, at least one or more of the contacts which are directly related to the point at which the bar is depressed will be operative with certainty.

The operating rod or bar, 26, extends longitudinally of the mechanism, and may, for

instance, extend the full length of a desk,"

thus enabling the immediate operative location .of the bar to effectually actuate the contacts or push buttons and enabling eflective' operation at any point throughout the length of the bar. The operating bar is normally in position over the set of contacts 1 and resting upon the heads 10 of the same (as shown in Fi 1) auditis pivotally mounted to .provi e for its operative movement under pressure to depress the contacts" 1. The pivotal mounting of the bar is also preferably such that it may be thrown over out of operative position with relation to the set of contacts 1 -(as shown in Fig.2) when the mechanism is out of use, and in the preferred construction for this purpose the op erating bar is hinged in connection with the boxings or housings 2 at the respective ends of the set of contacts with relation to which the bar is mounted, the hinged or pivotal connections being constituted by plates, 27, pivoted. as at 28. to the outer-side walls of the body of the housings 2, at the rear of the latter. and having the respective ends of the operating bar 26 suitably secured to the free ends of said plates. The hin preferably have an angular e ge .contour, approximating a triangle with stralght' edge,

as at 29, at the vertex of the angle, whereby when the operating bar 26 is thrown over and back into non-operative position. the

edge 29 will rest upon one ofthe lateral-base flanges 4 of the housing 2 and support the pivotally-mounted bar 26 in the. position shown in dotted lines in FigL-3. To retain, the bar 26 in operative position and to prevent its displacement or accidental throw- -1ng back to non-operative position, a-holding or'locking means is provided and referably consists of a lever, 30, pivotally lcrumed,

as at 31, upon the top surface 3 of the hous ing 2 and having an an lar end, 32, arranged to engage the ang e edge, 33, of the hingelate 27 when the mechanism is in norma operative position. This locking lever 30 is conveniently arranged so that it 1 may be manipulated to release the operat' ing bar and permit the latter to be thrown back to the position shown in dotted lines-in Fig. 3, but will, when .in active position, retain said bar ineffective relation to the set of contacts 1. I

In Fig'. 5 Ihave illustrated a modified construction in which the contacts 1 are directly carried by the operating bar 26. In this construction the stems 6 of the contacts 1 are secured at their top ends to the bar 26, and carry a flange, 3+1, adapted to pass through the top opening 7 in the housing 2 and bear upon a follower-plate, 35, slidably mounted within the internal chamber, of the tubular member 9 and acting upon the coiled spring 12', the follower-plate be-,

ing of greater diameter than the top opening 7. Thus,.in operation,'the spring control of the contacts 1 is the same as in the construction illustrated in Fig. 4, and the general operation of the mechanism is also the same as that hereinbefore set forth,

1 This modified construction is of particular advantage under circumstances where the improved contact mechanism is located on the floor, as it permits the raising of both the operating bar 26 and the contacts 1 (the latter being carried by the bar) from operative position, which is convenient under some conditions of use, for instance, at night or when it is. desired to retainthe mechanism out of use, or when the floors'are being cleaned or swept, to prevent the accidental actuation of the alarm by pressure upon the contact or push button devices.

I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the detail construction and arrangement of parts as herein shown and described, as it is manifest that variations and modifications therein may be resorted to, in the adaptation of my invention to non and improvements. I therefore reserve the right to all such variations and modifications as properly fall within the sco e of my invention and the terms of the ollowing claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. An electrical contact mechanism of the class described, comprising a plurality of depressible contacts, an operating bar extending longitudinally thereof and operative in common thereto to depress the contacts, and pivotal means carrying said depression bar and fulcrumed to bring the bar at one terminus into operative position directly over said contacts and to bring the bar at the other terminus to an inoperative position entirely away from the plane of the contacts when the mechanism is outof use, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

v2. An electrical contact mechanism of the class described, comprising a plurality of depressible contacts, an operating bar extendinglongitudinally thereof and operative in common thereto to depress the contacts, .pivotal means carrying said depression-bar and fulcrum'edto bring the bar at one terminus into operative position directly class described, comprising depressible contact means, an operating bar pivotally mounted in operative relation to said con tact means, and hinge-members carrying .said bar and having their pivot relatively arranged to swing said-bar in anarc to and from said contact means to bring the ,depression bar at one terminus of the are into operative position'directly over said contact means and to bring the bar at the other terminus to an inoperative position entirely away from the plane of the contact means when the mechanism is out of use.

4. An electrical contact mechanism of the class described, comprising depressiblejcontact means, an operating bar pivotally mounted in operative relation to said contact means, hinge-members carrying said bar and having their pivot relatively arranged to swing said bar in an arc to and from said contact means, and a lever fulcrumed to entact means, a boxing or housing carrying contact means, a bar operative to depress 6 An electrical contact mechanism of the class described, comprising depressible'con tact means, a boxing or housing carrying contact means, an operating bar pivotallymounted upon said housing and operative to depress said contact means, and means carried by the housing and operative to retain said pivoted bar in its operative position over said contact means when the mechanism is in use.

7. An electrical contact mechanism of the class described, comprising depressible contact means, a boxing or housing carrying contact means, said housing having an inclined surface relative to said contact means, and an operating bar pivotally mounted to swing over said inclined surface in operative relation to said depressible contact means to depress the same.

8. An electrical contact mechanism of the class described, comprising. a plurality of depressible contacts, boxings or' housings projectively carrying said contact means, a

bar extending longitudinally of said de-- pressible contacts and operative in common thereto to depress the contacts, and means pivotally carrying said depression bar and fulcrumed upon said housings to bring the bar at one terminus into operative position directly over said contacts and to bring the bar at the other terminus to an inoperative position entirely away from the plane of the contacts when the mechanism is out of use.

9. An electrical contact mechanism of the class described, comprising an operating bar extending longitudinally of the mechanism, pivotal means carrying said bar and fulcrumed to bring the bar at one terminus into operative position with relation to contact means and to bring-the bar at the other terminus to an inoperative position entirely away from the plane of such contact means when the mechanism is out of use, and contact means operative by depression of said bar in its pivotal movement.

10. An electrical contact -mechanism of the class described, comprising a plurality of depressible contact means, said contact means being arranged in electrical parallel connection, a depressible cross member extending longitudinally of said contact means and above the same'and operative in common to bear upon the same, and'pivotal means carrying said depression cross member and fulcrumed to bring the same at one terminus into operative position direetly name in the presence of the subscribing witover said contact means and to bring the nesses.

crossmember at the other terminus to an inoperative position entirely away from the) JOHN PB'ITGHARD WILLIAMS plane of the contact means when the mecha- Witnesses:

nism is out of use. W. D. Hnon'r,

In testimony whereof I have signed. my. Josm JACKSON. 

